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Friday, May 13, 2011

Canada and the First World War—War the Home Front

The first world war was a total war that affected not only the lives of Canadian soldiers in the battlefield, but also the lives of Canadians at the home front. During the war, food supply was limited and rationing was introduced to the Canadian society to ensure that there was food for the soldiers fighting overseas. Families would receive food vouchers every week, which regulated the amount of food that they could purchase. For example, they could only have 1.8 kilograms of meat and 26 litres of oil per week.

Also, women at the home front contributed to the war significantly. Since many men volunteered to become soldiers, there was a lack of male workers and women filled this gap by working in munitions factories, where they would make artillery shells and other weapons to be used in the battles. They also made organizations to contribute to the war in other ways. For example, in the Dorcas Club, they would sew socks and pyjamas for the soldiers at war.Furthermore, even the children participated in the war. They were given boxes to collect unwanted metals, bones, glass, and paper, which would be recycled to produce war materials. They also went through meatless and heatless days to save food and fuel, which were both essential for the army.Overall, the first world war significantly affected the lives of Canadians living at the home front, and it was a war to which every Canadian made contribution, a war that brought all Canadians together to fight for one single cause.